Damn washer fluid warning light...

[djKibblez]

I've got an 88 325is with the washer fluid light on...I figured, hey I'll jump the two pins on the fluid level sender for now to turn the light off. Doesn't work. I purchase a brand new sender and still the light is on the OBC panel.

I can't seem to track down where the short is.... Any ideas/suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[wodcutr]

try getting in the trunk by the antenna and remove the relays of the check system and reinstall them. Sometimes the contacts get corroded! Also could be a bad wire connector too.

[djKibblez]

try getting in the trunk by the antenna and remove the relays of the check system and reinstall them. Sometimes the contacts get corroded! Also could be a bad wire connector too.

Thanks - I took a look back there and I only see a relay attached to the base of the antenna. Is that the relay you're talking about? The PO had wired up his own custom stereo so there are wires everywhere.....

[DaRvDrUmS]

What's the condition of the washer fluid in the reservoir? Have you tried flushing it and refilling? That's all I had to do on both of my E30s to get the light off...

[kingston]

Sometimes the sensor just rotates downward, so it doesn't work corretly. There is a flat side on the sensor that should butt up against a flat side of the coolant reservoir. Turned mine 90 degrees and now it works perfectly.

[davericher20]

or you could fill up the washer fluid?

[worangejuice]

or you could fill up the washer fluid?

.........with blue kool aid

[DaRvDrUmS]

Sometimes the sensor just rotates downward, so it doesn't work corretly. There is a flat side on the sensor that should butt up against a flat side of the coolant reservoir. Turned mine 90 degrees and now it works perfectly.

+1

True story...

[richardodn]

The check circuit for the washer fluid level is very simple. The light is a solid state circuit. When the appropriate wire is grounded the light is out. When open it's on. The circuit runs a blue/violet wire from pin 17 on the check panel to the switch in the tank. From there it's a brown wire to ground.

Since shorting the connections did not turn the light out, try the following. Connect the blue/violet wire at the switch connector directly to ground. If the light goes out then wiring between the switch and the check panel is good. Make sure the connector contacts are clean. Check for continuity between the brown wire at the connector and chassis ground. I'd bet the problem is in that ground connection. If the wires all seem OK, pull and disconnect the check panel and test for continuity between the blue/violet wire there and chassis ground. If you have continuity then the check panel has an issue. If you don't, go back to checking the wiring as you missed something.

[DallasE46]

+1

True story...

+2
+3
+4

ask me how I know.

[tdennehy]

Now my little Bimmer has the same problem. My light for the washer fluid is on. I am not an idiot... I checked the fluid level, it is okay. I pulled the wiring harness from the sensor and shorted it, and light still on.

Here's what happened. I was under the dash this weekend, removing the factory installed remote control/alarm. I reverse engineered the wiring harness the stealership had installed to the "factory" Alpine alarm. Long story short, I disconnected the old harness connector and connected the new alarm right into that connector's wiring. No big deal, right? Power, ground, unlock and lock. Four wires. Then connect siren. Then run wires for dash LED. Nothing to do with washer fluid.

Then I hit the remote and it was LOUD. I popped the hood and found the siren right in front of the washer fluid tank. I wanted to muffle the sound, so I went upstairs and boosted some of my wife's cotton balls. As I was shoving them in, I found the two wires from the washer fluid tank tucked up into the bell of the siren. Pulled them out.. pushed them aside. Filled with cotton, secured with sheet of plastic and rubber band to keep the muffle in the siren.

Check alarm, and notice the washer fluid light is now on. My last Bimmer's light came on, and I shorted across the sensor to make the light go out. I did it on this car, and the light was still on. I took each wire and shorted it to ground, and the light is still on.

Popped the check panel above the rear view mirror, and broke the retaining clip. Goodie - something to do next weekend... I see the wiring harness in there, and unplug and plug it back in. Light still on.

Track down the wiring diagram for the car. Looks like a blu/vio wire from check panel to sensor. My next step is to pop the check panel, fix the retaining clip and ground the blu/vio wire and see if light goes out. If it does not go out, then what?

If it does go out, I'll probably just run a new wire to the sensor and be done with it.

I can only think that something in that darn alarm wiring harness has something to do with this. Not sure why that sensor wire was tucked into the alarm siren, either. Just to get it out of the way, I guess. Who knows.

Anyone have any insight for me? This is one of those weekends when I wish I had never got under the dash. The car is such a beauty, I want to keep her in tip top shape. This is the only little thing wrong with her.